Can Anyone Say, Slumber Party?
by Kissa-chan
Summary: COMPLETE! Misao has a slumber party and invites Karou and Megumi. Kenshin, Sano, Saito, Hiko. . . . why are the boys coming? And will there be anymore surprise visits?
1. The Invitation

Disclaimer; I do not own Rurouni Kenshin. The characters all belong to someone else with a really great imagination.   
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Can anyone say, "Slumber Party?"  
  
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Part 1: The invitation  
  
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The letter was written on a piece of pink paper decorated with pink hearts and smiling weasels. The message was short, and that should have made it clear, but it only made things a little confusing for the group of people reading the invitation.  
Hello everyone! It's Misao! Please come to the Aoiya on Saturday for a slumber party. See you there!  
Needless to say, Himura Kenshin was more then a little confused by the message. "Misao-dono wants us to go to the Aoiya . . . . .for a party?" he asked in surprise. The former Hitokiri Battousai had never been to a slumber party before, and had never even heard of one.  
  
Yahiko looked at the invitation with confusion written on his face, and Sano just looked baffled. "Slumber means sleep, right Jou-chan?" he asked the only unconfused person in the room.  
  
Kamiya Kaoru was in the process of putting on her sandals so she could tell Megumi about the party. "Of course, Sano, don't you know anything?" she demanded.  
  
The tall ex-gangster glowered at her angrily. "Well excuse me for asking. I didn't realize that you were going to get so upset about it."  
  
Yahiko began to nod his head vigorously, catching everyone's attention. "Of course she's going to get upset. She can't help it. I heard that really ugly girls lose their temper much quicker then the average person." He snickered. "I guess that means Kaoru is really the ugliest - "  
  
Whatever he was going to say was cut off as his cheeks were roughly pulled away from his face. "Take that back!" Kaoru shouted hotly, an enraged look on her face.  
  
Yahiko reached over and pulled at her cheeks in retaliation, and from there a full melee occurred that ended with Kenshin holding a large lump and lying in a daze on the floor. Yahiko was crouching beside the swirly-eyed rurouni holding his sore head in his hands. Kaoru had whipped the young boy across the room, and he had ended up headbutting Kenshin.   
  
It was an accident, but it still happened, and at the moment, Kaoru didn't really care. She knew from experience that Kenshin would be all right, and she wouldn't have thrown Yahiko if she had thought he wouldn't survive the landing.  
  
"I'm going to see if Megumi wants to come to the slumber party," she said before strolling out the door.  
  
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Saito Hajime glowered angrily at the offensive piece of pink paper decorated with hearts and smiling weasels on his desk. The message was short, but as cryptic as hell. It invited him to something called a 'slumber party', but being a former squad leader for the Shinsengumi, he didn't know what a 'slumber party' was. He had never even heard of one.  
  
He did know that 'slumber' meant sleep, so that meant if was a sleep party, but that didn't clear things up at all. In fact, it only confused him more then he was already confused. How could you have a party if you were already sleeping?  
  
Briefly he considered asking Chou what a 'slumber party' was, but his pride wouldn't let him. he had to discover what it was before someone learned that he didn't know. He lit a cigarette, and using the match, he burned the pink piece of paper.   
  
He would go to this 'slumber party' that the weasel girl was having. He didn't have a choice, he had to know what it was.  
  
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Hiko Seijuuro looked at the pink piece of paper for the eighth time. He didn't like not knowing what a 'slumber party' was, but that didn't bug him too much. In order for anything to be a party, it had to have sake, and if someone wanted to invite him to a party, the least he could do was accept the invitation.  
  
Not to mention the fact that he was rather flattered by the invite. Nobody had ever invited him to a party before. Now that he thought about it, he couldn't see why he hadn't been invited to parties in the past. He was a great guy, wasn't he? He looked good, was a genius in every sense of the word, and well, all in all, he was the perfect man. It irritated him that he had never been invited to a party before.  
  
He stood up, his decision made. He would go to this party. It would be rude not to, not to mention he did like to party.  
  
He also needed to know what a slumber party was. Having a whole in his knowledge wasn't a happy thought. He had spent most of his life training in the Hiten Mitsururgi Ryuu and didn't have many close friends. That meant the only way that he would learn what a 'slumber party' was would be to go to the Aoiya.   
  
Not to mention that their would have to be sake.  
  
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Misao had just finished getting the men out of the Aoiya. This was a girls only party, and she didn't intend to have any men over at all. It would be a great opportunity to talk with Kaoru and Megumi about their love lives. She hoped that one of them had better luck then she had been having with Aoshi lately.  
  
"Do you think this nightgown makes me look fat?" Okon asked from behind her.  
  
"Misao turned, appraising the older ninja with a critical eye. "No, it looks lovely, absolutely gorgeous."  
  
Okon smiled. "Thanks, Misao-chan," she said. "I want to look good for the men. This party was a brilliant idea! It the perfect chance to -"  
  
Misao was shaking her head violently. "No, no, no, no! If there were to be men here, it wouldn't be a slumber party, and everyone would have to wear decent closes,   
and . . . . . " she finished, her voice trailing off and her enthusiasm dying.  
  
"You would feel bad because Aoshi-sama wouldn't come," Omasu suggested. She was already in her nightgown too.  
  
"Hai!" Misao said. "But if we invited them, then we wouldn't get a chance to talk about them, because they would be right there listening."  
  
Okon and Omasu looked at each other nervously. They had mailed out three extra invitations that they hadn't told Misao about. It had seemed like a good idea at the time, and they hadn't thought that it would bother her.  
  
"I didn't think she cared who came. Her invitation to the Kamiya Dojo said, "Hello everyone." She invited Kenshin, Sano, and Yahiko, right?" Omasu whispered to Okon while Misao wasn't paying attention.  
  
Okon bit her lip nervously. "That's what I thought too, but what if. . . . "  
"What if what?" Omasu whispered.  
"What if Misao was saying 'hi' to everyone, and. . . . well just inviting the girls. She's only a child, and is bound to make mistakes."  
  
"This should be interesting. I wonder how Misao-chan will react when the boys arrive, that is, if they arrive," Omasu said softly.  
  
"We shouldn't really have to worry. What are the chances that they will actually show up anyway?" Okon asked. "They won't come. I mean do you really think those guys have nothing better to do then attend slumber parties?"   
  
Both of them reassured themselves that the only extra guests, if any, would be from the Kamiya Dojo, and that wouldn't be their fault. Misao had written that invitation herself.  
  
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Thanks for reading,  
Kissa-chan  
  
I hope you like it. I'm not sure if there are any more uninvited guests, but if anyone has any ideas, let me know. Please read and REVEIW! 


	2. The arrival

Disclaimer; I do not own Rouroni Kenshin. The characters and their histories all belong to someone else. I just like to write about them, that's all - honest. . . .I think \_/   
  
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Part 2; Arrival  
  
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"Misao-chan sure was nice for inviting us over to this party of hers, even if she didn't explain what it was very clearly," Sano announced. He had decided to tag along with Megumi and Kaoru on their trip to Kyoto. It was obvious why he had decided to come, the invitation had the word 'party' in it, and partying was one of his favorite pastimes.  
  
Yahiko glanced up at him with a sour expression on his face. "Well, I didn't want to go," he protested angrily. Sano had dragged him away from the Akkebeko and Tsubame.  
  
"Listen, you need to broaden your horizons," Sano told Yahiko, with a mock serious expression on his face.  
  
Kaoru glanced back at the three men following her and Megumi. "Do you really think Misao knows what she's doing?" she asked curiously.   
  
Megumi tossed her head elegantly. "I have no idea, but what difference does it make? She's throwing the party, and the invitation didn't exclude them. Besides, I have a feeling that none of them knows what a slumber party is," she added with a slightly evil laugh.  
  
Sano, Yahiko, and Kenshin stopped walking to look at her in confusion with a little bit of apprehension. "Megumi-dono, is there something the matter?" Kenshin dared to ask, his eyes looking slightly bugged out.  
  
Megumi cover her mouth with her hand and laughed merrily again. "Everything's fine, Ken-san. Why do you ask?" she inquired innocently.  
  
"Oh, no reason," Kenshin said, but he still looked suspicious. Almost as if he realized he was walking into a trap, and that it wouldn't be a pretty picture when it was completed.  
  
They continued walking. "What makes you think that they don't know what it is?" Kaoru asked quietly.   
  
Megumi's red lips curved up in a smile. "That should be obvious, don't you think? None of them brought anything to change into. They brought nothing but themselves and the clothes on their backs. So unless they plan on sleeping naked, they will be wearing their clothes to bed tonight, and. . . . . "  
  
"And what?!" Kaoru demanded as the fox's voice trailed off.  
  
Megumi smiled but shook her head and pointed towards Sano, who was hovering close behind them. She waited until the rooster backed off to talk to Yahiko then leaned towards Kaoru. She whispered into the younger woman's ear. "None of them is going to like the idea of sleeping in a room with several women. I believe that Ken-san will have a particularly hard time with it."  
  
Kaoru's sapphire eyes widened and she giggled. "You're right, they don't know what's going on. I only hope that Misao-chan knows exactly who is coming to her party."  
  
  
  
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"Tokio, why don't you wear the red kimono?" Saitou suggested to his wife. He had decided that he had better be safe and bring a date to the mysterious 'slumber party'.  
  
"What kind of party is this again?" Tokio asked suspiciously. She knew her husband, and he was being far to quiet about the upcoming party. He wasn't even complaining about it like he did for most parties he attended.  
  
"Just a party that some. . . .uhmmm. . . . . some friends, yeah that's the word . . . . some friends in town are throwing," His wife's comments were making him nervous, he didn't want to expose his ignorance to her.   
  
"Who are these 'friends'?" Tokio asked. Her husband wasn't known for having all that many friends, and it was strange for him to phrase things like he was. Normally he spoke in complete, well thought out sentences.  
  
"Uhmmmm. . . . . . . I told you about the Oniwabean Group, right?" he asked. He was fairly certain that he had, but he couldn't remember for sure.  
  
"Aa, you said that they were a ninja group full of losers," Tokio said. Her voice was dry, as she glared at her husband.  
  
"Well, you know me, I call everyone losers behind their backs, and to their faces," he said nervously. He forgot that he had been critical of the ninja group, if he had remembered that he would have. . . . . An angry glint in Tokio's eyes alerted him to danger. "Tokio?" he asked, his voice little more then a squeak. "Is something the matter?"  
  
"You call 'everyone' losers behind their backs? Does 'everyone' just happen to include me?" her voice wasn't pretty, and he realized that if he didn't placate her soon, he would not be able to go to the 'slumber party' and if he couldn't go to the slumber party, then he'd never know what it was.  
  
"Oh, honey - " Her eyes narrowed in a silent warning that he shouldn't try and sweet talk his way out of the situation.  
  
"I don't think that we're going any - " Tokio started to say when Saitou did something completely unexpected.  
  
"Please forgive me!" he shouted and dropped to his knees, pressing his head to the floor in front of her feet. "Gomen nasai! I didn't mean it like that. Please, I have to go to this party."  
  
Tokio looked at him in surprise then smiled at him. "All right, we'll go to the party, and I'll wear the red kimono."  
  
"Thank-you," Saitou said. **I will learn what a 'slumber party' is** he silently vowed.  
  
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Seijiro Hiko was having second thoughts about going to the party. He really wanted to go, but he had a feeling that he would just be making a fool out of himself in front of a bunch of people.  
  
**This is ridiculous, no one can make a fool of you, not even yourself.** He thought to himself, but the feeling stayed with him. He was almost there, it would only take a little bit longer.  
  
He was surprised that Misao had sent out the invitation, she hadn't been affected as much as the other two woman had been. If they had sent the invitations and were throwing the party, he wouldn't worry at all. He knew that they realized that he was a stud. The other one, the self-proclaimed Okashira of the Oniwabean Group, she resisted the idea of his being the most gorgeous man alive. It made the type of party she was throwing difficult to prepare for.  
  
He didn't know what to expect, and it didn't help that he didn't even know what a 'slumber party' was.  
  
He stepped onto the street that the Aoiya was on, moving through the early evening crowd. In the distance, he could see the popular restaurant.  
  
The map on the back of the invitation had said to go in through the back door into the living space. That made sense considering the disruption walking through the center of the restaurant would cause, but at the same time, it didn't make any sense.  
  
What kind of party was this anyway?  
  
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"Everyone should be arriving soon," Misao said excitedly. "Do you think that we have enough blankets?"   
  
Okon looked at the huge pile of blankets covering the floor and nodded. "We have more then enough."  
  
"Do you think that we have enough food?" Misao asked.  
  
Omasu looked at the table covered with snacks and nodded. "You have more then enough food for Megumi, Kaoru, and us," she assured the young ninja. **I just hope that no one else show up unexpectedly besides the ones we invited,** she thought. The look on Okon's face said that she was hoping the same thing.  
  
Misao began to pace back and forth. "Do you think that they got the letter?" she asked. "They should be here by now, don't you think?"  
  
Okon shrugged. Maybe no one would show up. That wouldn't be so bad, that way they could keep their secret invintations a secret. And then they'd definetly have more then enough food and blankets.  
  
  
  
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Sano spotted Saitou first. "Hey, what's he doing here?" he demanded loudly. "And who's that woman on his arm?"  
  
Saitou's gaze fell onto Sano and he mentally cursed himself. He had dressed in his finest clothes for the party and even brought his wife along, and the 'rooster head' was going to be there. What was worse was the fact that he seemed to be dressed like he always dressed. That pointed to the possibility that it was a plain clothes party, which would mean that he was over dressed.   
  
Moron," he said. It was the first thing that popped into his mind, although he wasn't sure if he was referring to himself or the tall ex-gangster.  
  
"Hajime," his wife scolded. "You shouldn't be so rude."  
  
The color drained from his face. Most of the Battousai's friends didn't know that he was married. He hadn't told anyone except Misao and Kenshin.   
  
"That's all right, that's how he always is, that it is," Kenshin said with a smile. "I'm Kenshin Himura. Are you - "  
  
Saitou knew what the rouroni was going to say. 'Are you a friend of Saitou's' and then she would be mad, and he'd have to beg her, which would make the others all laugh at him. Even if he said it to help preserve Saitou's secret marridge, the damage would be done. It was time to reveal the truth about his marital status.  
  
"Yes, this is my wife, Tokio. I'm glad you were able to recognize her from my description of her beauty," he interrupted. If Tokio could have seen his eyes, she would have laughed. He was giving Kenshin (and the others didn't notice ) puppy dog eyes.  
  
Kenshin looked nervous. "Er . . .uhm . . . Of course I remember," he said finally even though he wasn't sure what Saitou was trying to tell him with his eyes.  
  
"Your wife!" Sano roared. "You're married to - "  
  
"That ugly old hag!" Yahiko completed with a shout. That, needless to say, was the wrong this to say.  
  
Kaoru and Megumi both slapped his across the face at the same time and Tokio punched him in the mouth. "Take that back!" all three of them shouted.  
  
Yahiko rubbed his cheeks and mouth. He had gotten double slapped before, but never triple struck. "Gomen nasai," he said with a bow of his head. Saitou's wife packed one hell of a punch.  
  
"I was going to say 'hot babe' but I think I'll just refrain from comment considering what just happened to Yahiko-chan," Sano announced quietly.  
  
"Yahiko-chan, what a sweet little name," Tokio said. She turned to her husband and took his hand. "I'm glad we decided to come to the party after all. This way I get to meet all of your friends."  
  
"So," Megumi said clearing her throat with a cruel chuckle. "You're both coming to the party too?" she asked.  
  
Saitou swallowed mentally then jumped into the conversation with both feet and no parachute. "Of course we are," he said brashly.  
  
Megumi exchanged a smile with Kaoru. The boys didn't have any idea what was going on, and by the looks of things, Saitou hadn't told his wife that they were going to a slumber party.  
  
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Hiko came to a stop looking at the assembled group of people standing in front of the Aoiya. He recognized most of them. Kenshin, Kaoru, Yahiko, Sano, and Megumi to be precise. Of the other two, he could guess who they were. The tall man had to be Hajime Saitou, and the woman was no doubt his wife.  
  
"Well, what a surprise," he said.  
  
"Master!" Kenshin said. A smile stretched across the swordsman's face and he took three steps towards the older man before launching himself foreword to give him a hug.   
  
Hiko moved, letting the red haired man go sailing past. "Baka, I warned you about hugging me already. I'm not that type of person, got it?" he demanded.  
  
"Hiko-san are you here for the party as well?" Kaoru asked innocently. Megumi almost died at the harmless expression on her face.  
  
"Of course," Hiko said arrogantly. His confident response sent Kaoru into a fit of uncontrolable laughter.  
  
**He doesn't know what's going on either . . . .** Megumi thought smugly.   
  
"Well, if we're all going to the party, then why don't we go in and get something to eat?" Sano demanded. "I'm starving."  
  
"When are you not starving?" Yahiko demanded.  
  
"Right after I eat," the tall man retorted.  
  
"Now now, let's not argue," Kenshin began to try and keep peace amongst the growning group of guests.  
  
"Who's fighting?" they both demanded, turning towards him with narrowed eyes.  
  
"Well . . . . " Kenshin began again.  
  
"Baka," Hiko muttered. He dropped his fist on Kenshin's head prompting an 'oro' from the suddenly dazed boy. "Talking to them will only make them louder."  
  
"Ignoring them doesn't work either," Saitou spoke up. He had been keeping quiet, trying to decipher exactly what a 'slumber party' was before he entered the building.   
  
"What was that?!" Sano demanded, grabbing the front of Saitou's shirt.  
  
Saitou calmly lit a cigarette and placed it between his lips. "Shall we go in?" he asked.   
  
Sano scowled but released him and headed towards the entrance to the Aoiya.  
  
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Author's notes;  
  
Oh my gosh! I'm so sorry! I had completely forgotten about this story. I orginally wrote it as a one-shot, and had it written down in my story planner as complete. I'll track down the rest of the story. In the meantime, here's part 2.   
  
Thanks for the reminder to complete this, and thanks for reviewing and reading my story!  
  
Kissa-chan 


	3. Party

Standard disclaimers apply. I do not own Rouroni Kenshin!  
  
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Part 3:Party!  
  
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Misao eyed the door apprehensively. She was starting to get a feeling that no one was going to show up. "Okon-san . . . . " she started, attempting and failing to keep the worry out of her voice.  
  
"Hai Okashira?" Okon inquired, tacking on the title to try and boost Misao's spirits. "Did you need something?"  
  
Misao shook her head. "No, I should be fine. I was just wondering if we should play any games - you know, like truth or dare?"   
  
"Truth or Dare!" Okon and Omasu both exclaimed at the same time. They were wearing identical mischievous smiles while attempting to look innocent.  
  
Misao nodded her head and turned back to her post. She was watching and waiting for the other to arrive.  
  
Okon brushed her silken brown hair aside. "I think that we're safe," she whispered. "Nobody seems to be coming." She gave a bright smile to Omasu.  
  
"I know, but I'm worried. This is the first party that Misao-chan has ever thrown. Do you think she'll be all right if no one shows up? I mean, don't you think that Misao-chan would rather have boys over then no one?" Omasu whispered, biting her lip with worry.  
  
"Oi!" Sano's familiar voice boomed from behind them. "What are you two whispering about?" he demanded.  
  
Both of their faces went blank and pasty white. Slowly, they turned to look behind them at the tall 'rooster head'. "Sanosuke," they peeped, anger at being scared nearly witless starting to gather in their faces.  
  
Sano had come in through the restaurant. That meant that he had come up behind them. That meant that they hadn't been ready for him - not to mention that they were ninja and shouldn't have been caught off guard so easily.  
  
Yahiko stepped up beside the ex-gangster. "Man, I'm starving, when's this party going to start?" he asked, putting both hands behind his head in a relaxed gesture.  
  
Misao's eyes fell flat. "Sano-san, Yahiko-chan," she said in a dry voice. She heard the door open behind her (the one she'd been watching ). Slowly, she cranked her head to see who was coming through.  
  
Her eyes, if anything narrowed into shocked slits even more. "Saitou," she said in a dangerous voice, her hand reaching for her kunai but encountering only loose fitting nightclothes. She had decided to leave her weapons beside the food table so they wouldn't be poking her.  
  
Saitou cleared his throat. He was obviously about to make some sort of speech. However, before he finished, Hiko brushed by him.  
  
Okon and Omasu, both who had been wearing nervous expressions, sighed simultaneously, all of their worries about Misao's reaction to the extra guests fading from mind. "Hiko-sama!" they both gushed, rushing foreword and throwing Saitou aside.  
  
Misao dropped her head at a sharp unnatural angle. "Saitou," she said again, her voice much less enthusiastic then anyone was used to hearing it. "Why are you - "  
  
"Oh, there you are," a woman's voice called out, perking Misao's spirits slightly. A logical explanation for the presence of the men was forming in her mind.   
  
Obviously, Kaoru had brought Yahiko, Sano, and perhaps Kenshin along for the ride. Once they had arrived ib Kyoto, they had looked up Hiko and Saitou. Now they were dropping the girls off and getting ready to go drinking somewhere else.  
  
That had to be it.  
  
  
  
Misao turned with a smile, her arms opening to engulf Kaoru in a hug. The tall black haired woman standing in front of her gave her a polite smile.  
  
Misao's face practically slide off. "Who are you?" she squeaked, attempting to keep herself from being rude. Somehow she didn't have one guest at her party that she had invited.  
  
Tokio smiled brightly. "I'm Tokio Saitou. I would like to thank-you for inviting my husband and me to your party. We don't get out as a couple very often. And if I didn't know any better, I'd say that he is always trying to keep his marriage a secrete." She bowed politely to the young hostess.  
  
Half of Misao's lips went up on one side in an attempted smile. "I'm so glad that you came," she said, her voice hollow and her mind blank. "Please, make yourself at home, ne?"  
  
Tokio nodded and started to step more fully into the room. She had a habit of evaluating people and their parties based on the amount of planning that went into them.   
  
To her dark eyes, Misao clearly was a disorderly person. She had a low set table with nothing but snaks on it. A large pile of bedding sat in a disordered heap in the middle of the room. And the young girl was dressed in her sleeping yukata.  
  
The door opened again and Kaoru and Megumi stepped in. Instantly both of them looked at each other and smiled slightly. Misao's baffled expression clearly stated that the boys hadn't been invited.  
  
"Misao-chan," Megumi called out. "I hope you don't mind my tagging along with Kaoru. I haven't been out in quite a while." She stepped up in front of Misao and embraced the younger girl in a careful hug before walking over to the bedding pile with a foxy laugh.  
  
Kaoru, in the meantime, had decided not to greet Misao right away. Instead, she headed to where Sano and Yahiko were whorfing down Misao's snacks. "Stop eating," she said sternly, slapping Sano's hand away from a plateful of ohagi.  
  
"Waph arf yof talfink abof?" Sano demanded with him mouth stuffed to full to fit even a needle. As he spoke, pieces of partially eaten ohagi flew out of his mouth and hit Kaoru's.   
  
Kaoru smiled humorously, wiping her cheeks and stepping back. "I just don't think that you should eat all of Misao's food without first greeting her."  
  
"Yeah right, you hag," Yahiko objected. "You just want us to back down so you can snort it all down yourself!"  
  
Kaoru's eyebrow twitched and she slapped her apprentice into the food table, sending the carefully prepared meal in all directions.  
  
"Heh heh heh heh," Misao murmured, starting to crack. She twisted her head back to the door, ignoring the flying food and focusing on the polite knock on the outside door. She slid the door open and opened her mouth to scream.  
  
"Misao-dono!" Kenshin squawked first. "You're not dressed!" He looked scandalized. His face turned bright red and he dropped to his knees, bowing his head towards the ground in apology.  
  
Misao took a deep breath. "Kenshin, I'm wearing a sleeping yukata." She glanced back into the room, eyes falling onto Okon and Omasu. They were both staring at Hiko with hearts in their eyes.  
  
"Come on in, Kenshin," she said in a neutral voice.  
  
Kenshin stood and walked into the room, head bowed and carrying Kaoru and Megumi's bags on his back. He found a seat by the door and sat down.  
  
"Is everyone here for the party?" Misao inquired blankly.  
  
Saitou, who had been looking around with growing horror, carefully nodded his head. He was starting to realize that a 'slumber party' included sleeping obviously. Judging by the bedding the nighttime clothing that the girls were wearing, they were all just going to bunk down and sleep in the same room.   
  
He glanced at Tokio, who was starting to get an idea about what was going on. Her mouth was held in a tight line and she was standing completely straight and unmoving.   
  
He reached into his pocket and pulled out a pack of cigarettes. His nerves were shot. Coming to the party had been a bad idea . . . . a really really really bad idea. The only thing that he had learned so far was that he didn't have the slightest clue what was going to happen. And he knew that there was going to be hell to pay when Tokio found out what was going on - he didn't know why, he just felt it was true.  
  
Hiko, on the other hand was completely at ease. Although he still didn't know the basics of a slumber party, his initial instincts had been correct. All parties had sake and he was far to great to be made a fool of.  
  
He smiled charmingly at Okon, enjoying how the worried expression melted from her face to be replaced by silly pink hearts. He had always been great with the ladies - all though that was no small wonder considering his obvious perfection.  
  
"Hiko-sama?" Misao questioned. "Are you here for the party?"  
  
"Of course," he said smoothly. "And I would like to thank-you for inviting me. To tell the truth, I usually have to crash parties . . . . . "  
  
"Thanks . . . for inviting you . . . . . " Misao mumbled. "But I - "  
  
"Wasn't sure if you were coming or not!" Okon shouted. "Right Misao-chan?" she said, flying across the room and pinching Misao's back to keep her from objecting. "I mean, why would a master of the Hiten Mitsurgi Ryuu want to attend a run-of-the-mill slumber party?"  
  
Yahiko looked up curious. "Yeah, why did you - " he started to say.  
  
Tokio cut him off, stepping on his head and drilling his face into the floor. "Slumber party?" she inquired lightly. Her head swiveled in a deadly arc towards Saitou. "I wasn't aware that this was a slumber party," she said in a falsely sweet voice that chilled everyone's blood.  
  
Saitou swallowed nervously, resisting the urge to fall and her feet whimpering apologies.  
  
"Actually," Kenshin spoke up, raising his head towards the room. His wide violet blue eyes encountered five young women wearing sleeping yukatas. (Kaoru and Megumi went and changed in the other room.) "Gomen nasai!" he exclaimed and planted his forehead to the ground once more.  
  
"Well . . . . . . Misao murmured, deciding to take things in stride. "Welcome to my party everyone, and please enjoy yourselves. Okon, Omasu . . . " she made a gesture for them to meet her in the other room.  
  
************************  
  
"Who invited them? Which one of you invited a bunch of boys?" Misao narrowed her eyes at them. "And," she added, suddenly suspicious, "Was that everyone that you invited, or are there more?"  
  
"More," Okon said meekly. "But we only wanted your party to be a success - "  
  
"Enough," Misao said flatly. She turned and headed back into the room without another word or even glance back at the two ninja.  
  
"That went well," Omasu muttered. She glanced at the other ninja. "Do you think that she'll be mad for a week . . . or a year?"  
  
"I'd angle for eternity," Okon said blandly. She stared glumly at the wall that Misao had ventured through for several moments then brightened. "But on the bright side, Hiko-sama's here!"  
  
"That's right, let's go see if we can catch his attention, ne?" Omasu said, her expression brightening at the thought of the studly swordsman.  
  
************************  
  
In the darkness of the Zen Temple where he was meditating, Shinamori Aoshi contemplated the pink sheet of paper in front of him. Misao hadn't mentioned anything about the party that morning when she had brought him tea. He had tried to hint at it, but she seemed oblivious to his attempts.  
  
That meant he couldn't get no peace. Ever since she had left the invitation for him, he had been baffled. What was a slumber party exactly?  
  
The only thing that he could come up with was that she had gotten tired of waiting for him. It was her childish way of asking him to sleep with her. And that brought up an important question. Did he want to sleep with her?   
  
He closed his eyes, trying to imagine lying alone in a bed with her, their clothes scattered around the room.  
  
"Misao . . . why now?" he whispered to the gathering darkness.  
  
Now was the time to chose, should he give himself to her or give up on ever returning her love for him?  
  
************************  
  
Author's notes:  
  
Well, I finally found the rest of the story. (It was buried under a heap of books and other junk in my closet . . . **sweatdrop**) Anyway, here it is for anyone who may care!  
  
Actually, there's one more chapter. \_/  
  
Kissa-chan 


	4. Confession

Standard disclaimers apply.  
  
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Part 4:Confession   
  
************************  
  
Misao glanced at her guests. She had managed to get them all dressed in yukatas - not an easy task. Finding the right sizes around the Aoyia was no where near as easy as she had initially thought it would be.  
  
In the end, Saitou ended up wearing on of Aoshi's. Yahiko and Kenshin were wearing some of Misao's. Tokio had borrowed one from Okon while glaring needles at Saitou. Hiko had declined to sleep in either, preferring to take his shirt off and sleep in his pants much to the delight of Okon and Omasu. Sano, it seemed, was the only one who was having trouble. He was wearing one of Okina's yukata that fell to his knees with the sleeves only coming to his ankles.  
  
"I feel like a big oaf," he protested.  
  
"I feel like a stupid idiot," Saitou muttered a little too loudly.  
  
Before Sano could pounce on his remark, Tokio spoke up. "Good, you should you dolt. Why didn't you tell me we were going to a slumber party? I would have brought our own yukatas from home. You could have wore the cream one with the little trains stitched into the fabric - "  
  
"I don't have anything in my closet like that!" Saitou protested immediately.  
  
"That right, you throw your clothes on the floor like some brainless oaf, don't you?" Tokio asked sweetly. She turned to Megumi. "He does have one like that. He begged me to stitch the trains on."  
  
"You can sew?" Kaoru asked in amazement. "All of my stitches end up looking like tangles," she said woefully.  
  
Yahiko snorted not-so-discreetly from over by the food table.   
  
Tokio smiled as Kaoru whipped her sandal towards his head. "I can sew, but I didn't put the trains on his yukata - "  
  
At that point, Saitou started singing a Shinsengumi marching song. "OOOOOOH!" was as far as he got, before Tokio's shut-up and sit down lasers wilted his spirits.  
  
"He put them on himself. Hajime is rather talented with a needle," she said.  
  
Sano grinned broadly and dropped one arm over Saitou's shoulder. "Ahou," he said, stealing the wolf's favorite insult and using it on him. "You put wee little choo-choo's on your jammies?"  
  
Saitou smiled. "Aha," he said with a fake laugh. Then with a look of pure rage on his face, he tackled Sano and started strangling him.  
  
"Now, now," Kenhsin said. He whacked Hiko in the knee with a wooden sword. "Break it up Sano and Saitou. If you fight, you'll ruin Misao-dono's party, that you will."  
  
Hiko glanced at Okon and Omasu and smiled. "Baka deshie," he said in a rich voice. Then he gave Kenshin a kick in the direction of the other girls. At the same time, he pulled the rouroni's blindfold off.  
  
"Orororororo!" Kenshin wailed as his face collided with Kaoru's chest, knocking her over.  
  
"Kenshin!" Kaoru exclaimed as the rouroni wailed piteously into her chest, struggling to get away without touching her in any way.  
  
"Gomen nasai!" he hollered, springing back and around at the same time.  
  
Megumi stuck out her foot with a small smile, sending him spilling on top of Tokio. With a foxy laugh, she helped herself to a bit more sake and enjoyed the show some more.  
  
"Get off of my wife!" Saitou roared, reaching for his sword and almost pulling the sash on his yukata off.  
  
"Everyone sit down!" Misao hollered, glaring at Megumi who looked away innocently. "It's time to play a game. Do we have any requests?"  
  
There was a moment of silence, broken only by the sound of Yahiko stuffing himself at the food table.  
  
"Oh . . . I don't know," Megumi said innocently. She held up a small sake bottle, fox ears appearing on her head. "How about spin the bottle?"  
  
"Spin the bottle sounds good," Hiko said instantly, eyeing the sake symbol with appreciation. "What do you two say?" he asked Okon and Omasu.  
  
"Sounds good to me," they both chorused.  
  
"Or we could play Truth or Dare," Megumi added, prompting several people to shudder. They had far too many secretes to want to play that game and she knew it.  
  
"Let's go with spin the bottle," Saitou said at the same time that Sano did. Both men glared at each other with mutual dislike. Before they could begin any arguments, there was a knocking at the door.  
  
"Aoshi," Okon mouthed to Omasu. They both nodded and watched apprehensively as Misao walked to the door.  
  
"Hello?" Misao asked as she opened the door, hoping that it was an extra girl invited and not another boy. Her party wasn't going anything like she had planned it.  
  
Before she had a chance to see who was at the door, she was engulfed in a strangling hug. "Thanks for the invite!" Yukishiro Enishi said with a smile. "Tomoe suggested I take you up on it, so here I am."  
  
"Heh," Misao muttered.  
  
Enishi took it to mean yes and strolled through the door, dropping his sword beside the blankets and sitting down cross legged beside Yahiko. He started helping himself to some food, ignoring the bug eyed looks he was getting from everyone.  
  
"Did you?" Okon whispered to Omasu.  
  
Omasu shook her head. "I don't think so . . . . " she whispered. "Unless . . . " she added, her voice trailing off.  
  
"We were listing all the men we thought were attractive," Okon muttered. "And then we wrote the invitations for Misao-chan. Did we . . . ?"  
  
They both grinned guiltily and shot Misao apologetic looks.  
  
Misao ignored both looks and marched out of the room, returning with another of Aoshi's yukata. "Enishi-san," she said. "Did you bring a yukata?"  
  
He shook his head and stood up. "I'll use that one," he said with a wild grin. He wiped some rice from his mouth with the back of his hand and striped in the middle of the room. He put the yukata on and dropped down beside Yahiko again.  
  
Misao squared her small shoulders and sat down. "Okay, so we're playing spin the bottle . . " she said. "Yahiko, Enishi, it's time to play. Come on over and sit down in a circle."  
  
Once everyone was seated in a circle, Misao took the sake bottle. "Okay, who wants to go first?" she asked, eyeing the large circle of people around her.  
  
"I will," Hiko volunteered. He took the bottle and shook it, listening for the familiar and welcome sound of sake. Not hearing it, he frowned.  
  
"Here, let me go first and show you all how it's done," Megumi purred, pulling the bottle out of Hiko's confused grip. She put the bottle in the middle and gave it a good spin.  
  
"That's it?" Saitou asked in surprise as the bottle came to a rest aiming at him. "You want us to try and spin that bottle and see who gets the most revolutions?"  
  
"No, you kiss whoever the bottle points at," Kaoru and Tokio said simultaneously with a snicker. "Be it boy, or be it girl!"  
  
"Let me out!" Sano exclaimed, attempting to leave the circle right away. "I don't want to kiss this Ahou!" he shouted, jerking his thumb towards Saitou.  
  
"You don't have to, I do," Megumi said smoothly. "It's the person who spins the bottle who has to do the kissing. If you refuse, you lose."  
  
She crawled over to Saitou and made to kiss him.  
  
"Futae no kiwami!" Sano hollered, launching himself foreword towards Saitou. There was no way he was going to let the wolf of mibu get kissed by his girl.   
  
Okon and Omsau grabbed him by the back of his yukata, prompting a strangled yelp from him as Megumi kissed Saitou on the cheek.   
  
Saitou's face fell to the floor with a loud thunk. "Gomen nasai!" he shouted in the direction of his wife. "I won't let it happen again - "  
  
"It's okay, Tokio assured him. "It's all part of the game. Now spin the bottle, it's your turn."  
  
Saitou reached out and tapped the bottle with his foot tentatively. It gave a feeble twirl and stopped pointing at Sano.  
  
The rooster's eyes fell into pinpricks and he stopped his vague struggle to get out of Okon and Omasu's grip. "Huh?" he asked in a curiously stupid voice. Then Saitou kissed him full on the mouth and he fainted.  
  
"Hajime!" Tokio snarled, grabbing him by his neck and jerking him back to his seat. "You don't have to kiss on the mouth. In fact, a mere peck on the hand would have sufficed, ne?"  
  
As Saitou was apologizing once again, Misao and Kenshin attempted to revive Sano. He didn't appear to even be breathing. Although, judging by the violently twitching in his eyebrow, he was still alive.  
  
"I'll take his turn," Enishi declared, grabbing the bottle and whipping in as hard as he could. After several wild spins, the bottle came to a stop pointing at Hiko.  
  
"Better the master then the student!" Enishi said with a shrug. He made to kiss Hiko, but fell flat on his face when the bigger man moved.   
  
"I don't think so, spin again, I won't participate," Hiko said. "It's bad enough when Kenshin tries that weirdo stuff, but I don't even know you enough to humor you." He walked over to the corner, taking a couple of jugs of sake with him.  
  
Enishi frowned. "I'm still in the game," he announced, whipping the bottle again. This time it stopped in front of Misao.  
  
Not noticing the crazed white haired man approaching, it was too late for Misao to even think about moving. Enishi kissed the back of her head with a loud smack and sat down with a satisfied expression on his face.   
  
"My turn?" Misao questioned, turning around and wondering who had kissed her.  
  
Okon nodded and Misao spun the bottle gently. It came to a rest pointing at Sano's still unconscious form.  
  
"I don't think he's playing anymore, but why don't you kiss him and see if he wakes up?" Megumi asked.   
  
Misao looked doubtful, but kissed Sano's forehead quickly. "That makes it his turn . . . . . . . " she said. "How will we do this?"   
  
"I know," Tokio said. She picked up Sano's limp hand and whacked the bottle with it. We'll just help him a little bit . . . . . . "  
  
************************  
  
Aoshi stood up. It was nearly three in the morning. He had missed Misao's party. He had missed his chance at ever being with her. The invitation had to be Misao's way of saying she was giving up on him. That meant it was over.  
  
For the first couple of minutes, he had felt relieved. Then slowly, he had started to feel lonely. He missed Misao suddenly like he never had before. She wasn't at the Aoiya waiting for him anymore. She wasn't waiting . . . .   
  
He had returned to the Aoiya, hearing Okon and Omasu laughing in one of the rooms. From the sound of things, Misao was laughing too. They were all having a good time. She was over him.  
  
He had gathered a bunch of sake and returned to the temple. Then he had started drinking. His mind wouldn't let Misao out. It was all over . . . .   
  
************************  
  
In spite of a rusty start, the game of spin the bottle gained momentum after they got rid of Sano's unconscious form. Okon and Omasu had finally dragged him over to Hiko and Yahiko.   
  
Kenshin, who was passed out drunk on Kaoru's lap, had departed near the beginning, refusing to allow himself to be kissed by Enishi. Kaoru had gotten booted when she had refused to kiss the same white haired psycho. The two of them had retreat to the corner and were talking contentedly.  
  
Misao, Enishi, Saitou, Tokio, and Chou ( who had arrived out of nowhere ) were all still playing the game.  
  
"Ya all know that I'm going to win this time," Chou said, closing both eyes and spinning the bottle gently. So far the bottle always came to a rest in front of Saitou. Without fail it had ended like that all 138 times that he had a turn. This time was no exception.  
  
"Damn," he muttered darkly. He leaned foreword and kissed Megumi.  
  
"You're out!" Saitou shouted, he had moved the foxy doctor into the way since Chou's eyes were closed. "Go away now, ahou!" he shouted happily.  
  
"That's cheating," Megumi announced. "You're out too." She hiccuped lightly and poured herself some more sake.  
  
"Nah," Misao interrupted. "I think that the end of the game. I'm getting kinda sleepy. We should wake everyone and spread the blankets out - "  
  
"Not sleeping!" Hiko hollered across the room, holding up a jug of sake and grinning broadly in a drunken manner.  
  
They started spreading the blankets out and waking everyone to get them to their beds.   
  
"This wasn't so bad," Misao was saying. The sound of the door being flung open caught everyone's attention.   
  
"Misao, marry me," Aoshi said dropping to his knees in front of Kaoru. "I . . . I can't just let you go away. I can't let you stop . . . I know that I missed my last chance, but can you forgive me for not coming and - "  
  
"Dude," Saitou said, shaking his head. "You do not want to beg. You will regret it for the rest of your natural life."  
  
"Really?" Tokio whispered, drawing him away from the obviously drunk ninja.  
  
"Meep," Saitou squeaked.  
  
Aoshi took a deep breath, ice blue eyes flickering upwards and scouring the room. They paused at Misao's eyes. "Marry me . . . . . I love you," he whispered. "I know that you wanted to have sex . . . . . but we can't do that out of wed lock."  
  
"Who told you that I wanted to . . . . . ." Misao questioned, feeling rather strange and giddy at the moment.  
  
He shook his head. "You invited me to a slumber party . . . . . slumber means 'to sleep'. I deducted that you wanted to sleep with me . . . . "  
  
"Is that what a slumber party is?" Sano, Yahiko, Hiko, Chou, Saitou, and Kenshin all asked at the same time.  
  
"Hell no," Enishi said in surprise. "Don't you know?"  
  
"A slumber party is simply a get party where a group of people - " Tokio started.  
  
"Usually girls," Megumi took great relish in revealing.   
  
"Get together and party with plans to sleep on the floor in the same room," Kaoru said, stroking Kenshin's hair lightly.  
  
Kenshin sat upright. "But then why are we all here?" he asked in confusion, pointing to all the boys in the room.  
  
"Because Tomoe said I oughta come . . . .she said it'd be fun," Enishi responded instantly.  
  
"I think that the boys are here because they're ignorant," Tokio announced. "They spend all their time fighting and don't even know what the finer things in life are."  
  
"Shut-up!" Aoshi shouted. He crossed the room in a blur of speed and pulled Misao into his arms. "Marry me," he whispered into her ear. "I love you."  
  
Misao couldn't speak. In five words, Aoshi had said everything she ever wanted to hear him say. She nodded her head wordless, tears of joy streaming down her heart-shaped face  
  
  
  
The last minute idea for a slumber party to ease her trouble mind and heart had appeared to be a disaster from the start. At first, no one appeared to be coming. Then too many unwanted people had arrived. Someone she had made the best of everything and now . . . . . . and now things were finally turning out for the best.  
  
"I love you," she finally managed to whisper. "I always have . . . "  
  
"I know," Aoshi whispered.  
  
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Author's notes:That's the end. Sorry to everyone who wanted Misao and Shojirio (I'm a die-hard Misao and Aoshi fan, that I am.) I would also like to apologize for the long wait in between chapters.  
  
The truth is I wrote this all at once and then lost the majority of the story. I just managed to find the rest of it and put some finishing touches on it.  
  
I would like to thank everyone who has read my story and liked it. I really appreciate your support.   
  
Thanks for reading,  
  
Kissa-chan 


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